Cage Warriors featherweight champion Conor McGregor (11-2) will have to wait a while longer to meet rival Jim Alers (9-1).

The fighters were set to headline the year-end Cage Warriors 51 event, but Alers was forced off the card with a hand injury.

Stepping into his place and the lightweight title fight is fast-rising Slovakian fighter Ivan Buchinger (21-3), officials today announced.

Cage Warriors 51 takes place Dec. 31 at The Helix in the Irish capital of Dublin. The event’s main card streams live on MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) following Facebook prelims.

McGregor and Buchinger fight for the organization’s vacant 155-pound title. McGregor would become the first Cage Warriors fighter to simultaneously hold two titles if he’s victorious.

The Irishman fights in his home country at the upcoming show. Since a loss to Joseph Duffy in 2010, he’s posted seven consecutive wins, six of which have come via knockout. Most recently, McGregor submitted Dave Hill to win Cage Warriors’ 145-pound championship, which he hopes eventually will lead to a UFC contract.

He now faces Buchinger, a busy fighter who’s averaged a fight nearly every other month on the European circuit. Eighteen of his 21 have come via stoppage, including 12 via submission. As part of his recent 9-1 run, Buchinger picked up a TKO win over Diego Gonzalez at a Cage Warriors event back in May. His lone defeat in during the recent streak came to Anton Kuivanen, who later signed with the UFC.

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.